Earl Grey Applesauce Recipes

EARL GREY SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse together the flour, tea, and salt, until the tea is just spotted throughout the flour. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and butter. Pulse together just until a dough is formed. Place dough on a sheet of plastic wrap, and roll into a log, about 2 1/2-inches in diameter. Tightly twist each end of wrap, and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Slice the log into 1/3-inch thick disks. Place on parchment or silpat lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart (2 probably needed depending on size of sheets). Bake until the edges are just brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks and cool to room temperature.

EARL GREY APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a 9-inch pie plate with 1 pie crust.
• Combine sugar, tea, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well.
• Spread a layer of apples over the pie crust. Sprinkle some of the sugar mixture on top. Repeat layers until the pie plate is full.
• Dot butter over the apples. Cover with second pie crust. Press edges together to seal; trim any excess. Poke holes in the top with a fork so steam can escape.
• Bake in the preheated oven until crust is golden brown, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool completely before slicing.

APPLE EARL GREY ALMOND JELLY

Steps:

• Wash the apples and cut them into chunks (no need to peel or core them), then put them in your heavy-bottomed, nonreactive pot along with half of the tea, wrapped in cheesecloth.
• Cover with water and simmer until the apples are tender, mashing them up to extract as much juice and flavor as possible.
• Strain the pulp through a jelly bag or cheesecloth, letting it drip for several hours or overnight.
• Measure 4 cups of juice into the clean cooking pot.
• Add the sugar and the rest of the tea, again, wrapped in cheesecloth.
• Simmer until the sugar dissolves and then bring the liquid to a boil and cook until the setting point is reached. (It sounds so easy!).
• Remove the mixture from the heat and discard the bag of tea.
• Skim any foam and allow the jelly to stand for a few minutes before stirring in the almonds and almond extract. (I found that if you don't let it sit -- and if you don't have a proper set -- the almonds will sit right on top of the jelly rather than sinking into the mix and looking all pretty.)
• Ladle the hot jelly into sterilized jars.
• I left 1/4 inch head space and processed in a water bath canner for ten minutes.

EARL GREY TEA COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk flour, tea, and salt in a small bowl; set aside.
• Put butter, sugar, and orange zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture until just combined.
• Divide dough in half. Transfer each half to a piece of parchment paper; shape into logs. Roll in parchment to 1 1/4 inches in diameter, pressing a ruler along edge of parchment at each turn to narrow the log and force out air. Transfer in parchment to paper towel tubes; freeze until firm, 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut logs into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Space 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment.
• Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.

EARL GREY APPLESAUCE

Steps:

• Pour 1/3 cup boiling water over teabag in small cup and let steep for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, peel, core, and wedge apples.
• Combine apples and tea in a medium saucepan, discarding bag.
• Split vanilla bean pod and scrape seeds into pan.
• Add bean pod.
• Cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring a few times.
• Add prunes and lemon zest and cook at a moderate simmer for 10 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• (Remove from heat when apples are starting to break up and are soft enough to be mashed.) Remove vanilla bean.
• Mash apples with potato masher to whatever consistency you prefer.
• Stir in sugar, cloves, and lemon juice, if desired, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
• Serve at any temperature desired.